"Having therefore settled these conditions, which (I do assure
you) were not very advantageous to me, he assigned me a subject for
ballad, which was to be finished in two hours; and I retired to my
garret in order to perform his injunction. As the theme happened
to suit my fancy, I completed a pretty sort of an ode within the
time prescribed, and brought it to him, big with hope of profit and
applause. He read it in a twinkling, and, to my utter astonishment,
told me it would not do; though indeed he owned I wrote a good hand,
an spelled very well, but my language was too high flown, and of
consequence not at all adapted to the capacity and taste of his
customers. I promised to rectify that mistake and in half an hour
humbled my style to the comprehension of vulgar readers; he approved
of the alteration, and gave me some hopes of succeeding in time,
though he observed that my performance was very deficient in the
quaintness of expression that pleases the multitude: however, to
encourage me, he ventured the expense of printing and paper, and,
if I remember aright, my share of the sale amounted to fourpence
halfpenny.
"From that day I studied the Grub Street manner with great
diligence, and at length became such a proficient that my works were
in great request among the most polite of the chairmen, draymen,
hackney-coachmen, footmen, and servant maids: nay, I have enjoyed
the pleasure of seeing my productions adorned with cuts, pasted upon
the walls as ornaments in beer cellars and cobblers' stalls; and
have actually heard them sung in clubs of substantial tradesmen--but
empty praise (you know, my dear friend) will not supply the cravings
nature.
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